The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-06-22
WOMEN RULING A CITY.
And Doing 1t Fully !,s Well AS Masculine
Ohicials Could.

| ofiiCialS Could.
(Salina, Kan, Letter to Memphis AppcaI)
have just returned from q trip on the
Santa Fe road, west. Syracuse, sixteen
miles from the Colorado line, was the
Mecca of my pilgrimage, because here,
April 4, they elected city council of
women, and L was bent upon seeing the
town that had made this innovation, and
the women who were filling the council
chairs. l wanted TO ask the people how
it came about and how it was working.
The first of these ladies introduced 10
me WAS Mrs. f.. B. Barbour, II fair-faced
gentle e-mannered woman, with an un-
mistakablc air of business about her. |
found this accounted for by the fact that
she is business woman. Her husband
does large and complicated business;
the books are entirely in her charge.
Mrs. II. ID. Knott is a business woman,
too. | expect much of Mrs. Knott in
the management of thoir Suffrage Socie-
ty, because Of her experience in Iowa as
president of the Eighth District Woman
Suffrage Society. Mrs. Coggcshall says
they were very sorry to lose Mrs Knott
from their ranks. She is chairman of
the Syracuse aldermanic force. Mrs.
NJ. Nj. Riggles is quiet little woman, IL
careful and conscientious mother and
housewife. She has Il way of making
up her mind FOR herself and standing
firmly by her convictions. She has a
reputation among Syracuse malo citizens
for being person of excellent judg-
ment. Mrs. S. n. Coo is woman Of
excellent ability, with enough conscrvat-
ism to keep her enthusiasm in proper
check. No one Of these women is more
anxious to do exactly right than is Mrs.
Coe. She is sister to Mrs. Lemcrt,
president Of the Saxon Equal Suffrage
Society, organized at Dodge City by
Mrs. Saxon and named for her. She
has several such namcsakcs in Kansas.
Mrs. l.. Nj. Smartwood, tho fifth mem
Der, L did not see, although [ made an
effort to do so. She was confined to her
home by sickness; but | am told that
she is woman of ability and that she is
by no means behind her sisters in any
requisite for her position My short
acquaintance with these women con
vinccd me that sitting in council chairs
and wrestling with questions Of city
polty have had no effect to unscX them
whatever that may bc-for these were
as womanly women as | have ever seen.
! looked i'll vain for masculine tendcn-
clcs. There was not hint Of it in dress
or manner. Mcotlng then. on the street
or III the cars, you woulu never guess
that they were city officials. From con
vcrsation with them | learned that they
were exceedingly anxious to mako Their
administration II just onc--oue that
would advance the best interests OF the
city; and when they spoke OF advancing
the interests of Their city they betrayed
the fact that they had in mind the city's
moral as well as temporal prosperity.
1t is said of them that they are doing
bcttcr work than the body of men who
composed tho previous council. Their
townspcoplc say they were elected be-
cause somebody proposed it and cvely-
body waa pleased with the idcn;" be
cause "it was believed that they would
make excellent oiliccrs;" because "the
temperance people thought women
wouldn't bo afraid to enforce the pro.
hiUitory law" because eve wanted to
advertise our town"-tlis last from n
III, mber Of a real estate firm; because
women would take time to do the work
well and thoughtfully.' Altogether, [
was pleased with my first sight of
wOma council This is the only one in
the United States.